“I Have Opened My Big Mouth Too Often”: Ayrton Senna Refused to Raise Grave Issue That Cost His Life to Save Reputation

The Tamburello corner in Imola will forever remain a deadly sector for motorsport fans worldwide. The corner has seen multiple accidents before, but Ayrton Senna’s high-speed crash and his on-the-spot death eclipses everything. Ironically, the corner wouldn’t have been so dangerous if Senna, who knew the danger that sector of the track posed, had spoken up. However, de decided to keep quiet even though he witnessed Rubens Barrichello’s crash that very weekend, which left him unsettled. Senna knew he was one of the top drivers in the sport, and refused to show his hesitation to protect his image.

On this, author Tom Rubython in his book The Life of Senna: The Biography of Ayrton Senna, quoted the then RTL reporter Kai Ebel. According to Ebel Senna remained unsettled after witnessing Barrichello’s crash and was unusually inattentive during the interviews.

When asked, Senna revealed that he knew the dangers the circuit of Imola posed. When journalists asked why the driver was quiet about it, he replied, “I am the only world champion left. And I have opened my big mouth too often. Over the years I have learnt that it’s better to keep my head down.”

Senna went to the medical center to meet Barrichello after the crash and was visibly shocked. On the other hand, Barrichello revealed that his compatriot was the first man whom he saw after he crashed his Jordan that weekend. Despite this, Senna went on to clock the fastest lap in that session and was still unsettled.

Ayrton Senna’s behavior changed after Rubens Barrichello crashed

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix will always be infamous, not just because of Ayrton Senna’s death, but also for multiple crashes that claimed another life. However, it was Barrichello’s crash on Friday that kept Ayrton Senna fidgety all day long.

The journalists present to take Senna’s interview after Friday’s session revealed that the driver was over the top with his thoughts on the car. He also listed multiple changes to his car and then sat with the reporters for the interview.

When he sat for the interview, the three-time world champion looked glazed and completely worn out. Apart from this, he stammered at times while answering and often lost his thoughts while speaking. All these made them conclude how badly the driver was affected by the crash. Furthermore, it was reported that he was also afraid of something.

Notably, the race weekend also saw Roland Ratzenberger lose his life after crashing at a speed of 195 miles an hour during qualifying. Unfortunately, this was just his third race after making his F1 debut. In the end, the race weekend sadly ended after Ayrton Senna found his tragic fate at Tamburello Corner. It was when he hit an unprotected wall at the speed of 192 miles an hour and died on the spot due to multiple injuries.